Centrifugal pump.



Patented Dec. 16,' |902. .8. LUITWIELEB'.V CENTBIFUGAL PUMP. [Appumion axe :ung 1,1901.)

2 Shun-Shelli L (N0 Model.)

MW e sse s l v Patented D66.v I6, |902. S. W. LUITWIELER.

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP. Appicacibn mea .rune i, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 S haefs-Sheet 2,

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Strass TENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL W. LUITWIELER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

` CENTRIFUGALPUMP.

SPECIFCATION forming' part of Letters Patent N o. 715,825, dated December 16, 1902.

\ Application filed June 1, 1901.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. LUITWIE- LER, of the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Oalifornia,ha ve invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Pumps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description or specication, reference being had to the annexed sheets of drawings and to the letters'marked thereon.

My said invention, which relates to certain new and useful improvements in centrifugal pumps, has for its object to balance the weight of the driving-shaft and the weight of the runners of such pumps when the drivingshaft and the runners driven thereby are arranged with their axes of rotation vertical, in which position of the axis of rotation the entire weight of the driving-shaft and the Weight of the runners, unless balanced, is carried either by the footstep-bearing at the lower part of the pump-casing or partly by that footstep-bearing and partly by bearings above that footstep-bearing exterior to the pump-casing, in either of which cases much friction becomes generated by reason of the weight of the driving-shaft and of the runners being carried, eitherwholly by the footstep-bearing alone or partly by that bearing and partly by one or more other bearings, upon that part of the driving-shaft outside of--that is to say, above-the pump-casing, in neither of which cases is the downward weight of the driving-shaft and runners in any respect whatever prevented from diminishing by their friction the efficiency of the pump.

In a centrifugal pump constructed according to my present improvements two runners at least are used, and a greater number of runners than two runners, such as are shown on the annexed drawings, may be used, and the upper runner or runners, as' the case may be, is or are especially constructed, as hereinafter described.

The runners are so constructed and arranged within the pump-casing that while the lowest runner, which is constructed after a well-known type of runner, is forced upward (against the downward weight of the driving-shaft and the weight of runner or runners carried above it on the shaft) by the Serialllo. 62,704. (No model.)

weight of the column of water in the ascend ing or discharge pipe of the pump, and while at the same time the lowest runner is also pulled `upward by the weight of the column of water in the suction-pipe of the pump, wherebyit resultsthatin myimproved centrifugal pump the weight of the vertical drivingshaft and the weight of the runner or runners carried by the vertical driving-shaft is or may be balanced by the joint or united action of the two columns of Water in the suction and discharge pipes opposing the downward weights of the driving-shaft and that of the runner or runners, it also results from a structural feature of the discharge-passages of my improved centrifugal pump that the internal friction of the pump is reduced to the minimum, while the efficiency of the pump is raised to the maximum by reason of the almost entire absence of internal friction within the pump itself, more especially that internal friction of centrifugal pumps due to unbalanced lateral pressure upon the runners and driving-shaft resulting from the discharge passage or passages of the pump-casing being located, as hitherto, at one side only of the casing instead of consisting of a double discharge having a discharge-opening at points of the pump-casing diametrically opposite to each other, as these openings are arranged according to my present improvements.

With the object of regulating the supply of water to the upper runner or runners or for shutting off the supply of Water to the upper runner or runners and for more accurately balancing the weight of the shaft and runners the upper runner or runners (when more than one upper runner is used) is or` are constructed' for the admission of the water to be pumped with ports or openings both at the top and bottom of each such upper runner, casing, or delivery-duct, and a valve or valves is or are introduced for either regu lating the effective area of such ports or openings into the bottom and top of such additional runners, the effective balancing inlinence of the columns of water in the suction and discharge pipes acting upon the runners being thereby adjusted or regulated, or the supply of water by these valves may be entirely shut o from the upper runners, so that ICO a pump constructed with one or more runners may according to this arrangement be operated as a single-runner pump.

Upon the annexed sheet of drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of my improved centrifugal pump on the line c c, Fig. 2, constructed as hereinbefore described and showing one runner and valves therein above the lower runner. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 transverse to the section shown at Fig. 1 on the line b I), Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the horizontal arrow X, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the lower runner on the line d d, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the entire pump shown in vertical section at Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan of the complete pump shown in the preceding figures.

In the figures or drawings the pump-casing is marked A A, the suction-pipe is marked B, andthe delivery-pipe is marked C, the vertical driving-shaft- D, and the under or lower runner E, while the upper runner is'marked F.

It will be seen on referring to the drawings that the under runner E is constructed without any port or opening in its bottom and that it has a central annular port or opening (marked G) in its top, (in these respects being like to a runner in common nse,) so that while water is admitted into the pump-casing A A through the suction-pipe B into the chamber marked H, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, it follows that the water so admitted into the chamber H passes to the under side or bottom of the runner `E by flowing down into the interior of the runnel` E by the annular port G, and the water so led into the interior of the runner E on being discharged from the runner E at the periphery thereof through the ports I lis forced up into the ascending or discharge pipe, (marked J,) from which arrangement it follows that the column of waterin the ascending or discharge pipe C, Figs. l, 5, and 6, in exerting pressure within the chamber surrounding the lower impeller or runner acts in part upward by pressing upon the bottom of the lower impeller orrunner with a net effective upward pressure due to the larger area of the bottom of the lower runner as compared with the top of said runner and represented by the area of the admission port or opening G and in the ratio of this dierence of effective area between the bottom and the top of the lower runner forces the lower runner upward, thereby to this extent opposing the downwardly-acting weight of the drivingshaft and the runners carried by it, while, in addition to the upward pressure thus produced, the downwardly-acting weight of the driving-shaft and the runners carried by it is further counteracted by the pull on the runner caused by the weight of the column of water in the suction-pipeB producing a pull upon the Water which fills the chamber H, as is obvious on referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings. This combined push and pull of the columns of water in the discharge and suction pipes of centrifugal pumps has hitherto operated to raise such driving-shaft and runner with so much force that when the driving-shaft is short, and therefore of comparatively small weight, the combined push and pull of the columns of water has operated to produce much internal friction against the under side of the outside bearings of the driving-shaft, and this defect my present improvements correct in the manner now to be described.

By regulating the delivery of water from the suction-pipe B into the upper runner the extent to which the weight of the column of water in the suction-pipe B operates upon the upper runner to oppose or counteract the downward weight of the driving-shaft D and that of the runners carried by it may be varied or adjusted to any required extent, and this I ecct by placing in the upper part of the suction-pipe B, Figs. 1, 5, and 6, a butterily-valve (marked K) and by placing an annular gridiron-valve L within that port of the pump-casing A A marked M. The butterfly-valve K on being opened to the horizontal position shown at Figs. 1 and 3 allows the maximum quantity of water to pass from the suction-pipe B into the upper runner F through the upper port P of the said runner F, and when the valve K is moved into any position between its horizontal and Vertical position the area of water-passage around the valve K becomes reduced, so that such inclined position of the valve K diminishes the quantity of water passing from the suctionpipe B into the upper runner F through its upper port P. In analogous manner when the annular gridiron-valve L is in the position shown at Fig. 2 it is obvious that with the ports N of this valve L fully open to the corresponding opening in the lower port O of the upper runner F this position of the gridiron-valve L allows the maximum of Water to pass into the lower opening O of the upper runner F and that when the gridironvalve L is turned so that its ports N partly close the corresponding openings leading into the port O of the upper runner F the quantity of water passing through the lower port O and into the upper runner F from the openings or ports N in the valve L is diminished. In this manner-that is to say, by means of the position of the butterfly-Valve K and the gridiron-Valve L-the quantity of water passing into and discharged by the upper runner F is regulated, so that it follows that the water thus regulated in passing into and through the upper runner F and its chamber may be varied as required to regulate the balancing effect due to the upward sucking action of the column of water in the suctionpipe B and that of the pressure of the column of waterin the discharge-pipe C upon the under runner E, thereby enabling any required tempering or regulation of balancing eifect to be produced according to the weight of the IOO IIO

driving-shaft and runners. The water discharged from the upper runner passes, by means of the discharge-pipe J, into the delivery-pipe C.

It is to be understood that the valves marked K and L, respectively, in Figs. l and 3 are operated by means of being connected to handlevers and linkages marked Q, R, S, T, U, V, and W in Figs. l, 2, 3, 5, and 6, respectively, in the annexed drawings, but which levers and linkages are but partly shown in the annexed drawings, for the reason that being so well understood such levers and linkages do not require further illustration and do not in themselves constitute any part of my present invention.

The arrows marked upon the annexed drawings indicate the direction of liow of water through the pump and also the direction of rotation of the driving-shaft and runners.

In the pump hereinbefore described and shown upon the annexed drawings the upper runner is described and shown as having its ports or openings regulated by valves in order to adjust the balancing effect of the columns of water in the suction and discharge pipes of the pump; but it is to be understood that in the case of pumps having a very long and therefore very heavy vertical drivingshaft the runner in the upper chamber of the pump-casing may be of the same kind as the lower runner, in which case such regulatingvalve would be dispensed with.

It is further to be understood that an essential part of my improved centrifugal pump consists in the arrangement of the casing as having two runner-chambers with a chamber between them connecting the suctionpipe with the runner in each chamber and that instead of the intermediate chamber being a chamber of considerable capacity, as shown upon the annexed drawings, this chamber may be of small capacity.

Having now described the nature of my said invention and the best system, mode, or manner I am at present acquainted with for carrying the same into practical eect, I desire to observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the invention to be secured to me by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. In a centrifugal pump the combination with an incased runner having a double inlet, of suction-pipes leading thereto, a drivingshaft upon which said runner is carried and means for varying the suction-thrust caused by the operation of said runner, said means consisting of throttling devices in the suction-pipes leading to said runner substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a centrifugal pump the combination with an incased runner having an upper and a lower inlet, and a vertical driving-shaft upon which said runner is carried, of means for varying the end thrust caused by the 0peration of said runner, said means consisting of valves controlling the said upper and lower inlets to said runner to regulate the amount of Water delivered to either inlet substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a centrifugal pump the combination with a vertical driving-shaft, upper and lower incased runners carried thereby, of a supply water-chamber between said runners, central inlets from said supply Water chamber through the top of said lower runner and through the bottom of said upper runner respectively, and a central inlet through the top of said upper runner, a rotary slide-valve for controlling the inlet through the bottom of said upper runner, and a butterfly or equivalent valve for controlling the inlet through the top of said upper runner, to regulate the effective suction-thrust caused by the operation of said runners for balancing the weight of the driving-shaft and moving parts, substantially as herein set forth.

In witness whereof I, the said SAMUEL W. LUITWIELER, have hereunto set my hand, this 13th day of January, A. D. 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL W. LUITWIELER.

Witnesses:

ST. J oHN DAY, W. E. MURRAY. 

